Ja’Kobi Gillespie leads Tennessee to 69-65 win over No. 19 Vanderbilt

By Canadian Press on February 21, 2026.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points as Tennessee outlasted No. 19 Vanderbilt 69-65 in a back-and-forth affair on Saturday.

A turnaround jumper by Nate Ament, who was double-teamed by Commodores Jalen Washington and Chandler Bing, gave the Volunteers (20-7, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) a 66-65 lead with less than a minute to play. Ament finished with 13 points.

After that shot, Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6) sent Tennessee to the line twice, with the Volunteers making 2 of 4 attempts.

Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the arc with three seconds left that would have tied it. Amari Evans added a free throw with one second left for the final score.

Jaylen Carey, who played in his first game at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym after transferring from Vanderbilt to Tennessee, was heckled by Commodore fans every time he touched the ball. He finished with seven points.

Tanner led the Commodores with 16 points and got them out of a 9:58 scoring funk that extended from the end of the first half early into the second. He scored on a throwaway 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to snap the skid 3:50 into the second half.

Up next

Tennessee: At Missouri on Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt: Hosts Georgia on Wednesday night.

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Jack Williams, The Associated Press